ALBANY, N.Y. – Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., faces questions over how she handled a sexual harassment complaint in her office last year, according to a report published Monday.

In July, a former female aide made complaints against a senior male staffer in Gillibrand's Washington office, Politico reported Monday. The female aide said the male staffer made unwelcome advances after he was promoted by the senator, Politico reported.

About three weeks after reporting the alleged harassment, the female aide resigned, saying she faced retaliation for raising concerns. Politico did not name her, citing her fears of retaliation and damage to her career.

Gillibrand is touring the country as she explores a run for president. She has made sexual harassment and abuse in the military, colleges and the workplace a top priority since she took office in 2009.

Gillibrand said in a statement that the case was properly handled.

“These are challenges that affect all of our nation’s workplaces, including mine, and the question is whether or not they are taken seriously," she said in a statement. "As I have long said, when allegations are made in the workplace, we must believe women so that serious investigations can actually take place, we can learn the facts, and there can be appropriate accountability. That’s exactly what happened at every step of this case last year. I told her that we loved her at the time, and the same is true today.”

Her office said that "at every step of the process," immediate action was taken in the case and that the allegations were investigated in consultation with the Senate employment counsel.

What did the review find?

The review found employee misconduct that, although inappropriate, did not meet the standard for sexual harassment.

"However, because the office did find unprofessional behavior that violated office policy, including derogatory comments, the office took strong disciplinary action against the employee in question, and he was given a final warning," spokeswoman Whitney Mitchell Brennan said in a statement.

Though the male aide, Abbas Malik, kept his job, Politico reported it found additional allegations of inappropriate workplace conduct.

Malik, one of Gillibrand's closest aides who is married, was fired after a new investigation, her office said.

“Recently, we learned of never-before-reported and deeply troubling comments allegedly made by this same individual," Brennan said. "The office immediately began another investigation and interviewed relevant witnesses, which has led to the office terminating the employee from staff last week."

Gillibrand has toured Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire, hoping to distinguish herself in the crowded Democratic field. She has barely registered in the primary polls.

Despite the case in her office, Brennan said Gillibrand is "committed to ensuring allegations are handled seriously, investigated, and followed by appropriate punishment, which is why she helped pass stronger sexual harassment protections in Congress and prioritizes proper harassment training to better prevent these occurrences and encourage future reporting.”

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